Local food hub efforts grow

Thursday

GALESBURG — After learning the results of a recent feasibility study, a collective effort between various Galesburg parties is surging forward to bring the idea of a local food hub to fruition.

The long-term goal is to create a facility or business that works to manage the gathering, distribution and marketing of locally produced foods for the purpose of supporting the local community and economy. In the years of discussion, it’s become a clear-cut fact among interested parties that a food hub will only come into being through organized collaboration.

A group made up of a few local growers, buyers and related agencies met Thursday to hear the results presented by two outside planning consultants. Representatives from Knox College, the Sustainable Business Center, Growing Together and the Knox County Health Department were all in attendance, and by the end of the meeting, the collective mood seemed hopeful and determined.

According to Derek Shugart, director of the Knox County Development Corporation under the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association, Jason Saavedra and Jennifer Hale from J3 Concepts were hired to conduct the study using a specialty crop grant awarded in 2011 to Knox County.

Shugart said he considered the study to be one of the most important steps toward eventually implementing a food hub.

The study received 20 responses from local producers and 12 from local buyers. The buyer representation came from restaurants, grocery stores, health care, higher education and food manufacturing.

Though both numbers are merely fractions of the overall groups, Shugart said he’s pleased with the “good core sample.”

The study asked producers about barriers to producing and selling, how much available land is utilized, plans to expand, among many other questions. It asked buyers about how much was spent on food and barriers to buying local food.

Saavedra pointed out, perhaps, one of the most telling figures while also noting it was coming just from a sample.

The surveyed group estimated $6.4 million in total annual food spending, while only $88,500 of that is spent on local food.

Shugart said this disparity, while potentially skewed in the survey, is the main reason a centralized food hub could be beneficial for the area. He said three things are important to keep the local economy strong.

“You have to keep money circulating locally, bring in more money from the outside and stop the leaks.”

A food hub, he said, would help to achieve all of those things. But it won’t happen overnight.

“It’s taken more of a comprehensive group and approach, and research to lay out that solid foundation so we can move forward and build on it,” Shugart said.

Now that said foundation has been somewhat laid down, the focus should be on the next step, according to the consultants.

“I believe (a business plan) will be our next step,” Shugart said, “while keeping these folks together, maybe bringing more people in who have shown interest, and try to get them engaged and moving forward with this.”

However, Peter Schwartzman, a Knox professor and representative for local non-profit organization, Growing Together, brought up the fact that there may be some intermediate steps to take.

First, he emphasized the need for leadership by one of the involved parties. Until now, GREDA has been somewhat the driving force, but Shugart said that probably won’t be the case long-term.

Schwartzman also suggested efforts be driven toward having more events and activities to spread awareness throughout the community about the prospective food hub, while also giving the idea a brand of sorts.

Leaving the meeting, Shugart said he could very well see such events being achieved.

“Adding energy to the local food economy by branding it?” he asked. “Yeah, I can see that. It’s too early to commit at this point, but quite possibly.”

Saavedra and Hale suggested developing an actual organization dedicated to creating a food hub, and reminded the group that the road from the study to the tangible product could be a long one. They advised it could take years to get from point A to point B.

The group wanted time to fully review the study themselves, but agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting, potentially for sometime in January.

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